ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Knowing his team needed a win, and knowing he was facing a red-hot lineup, Toller Boardman took it upon himself to do everything he could to help the University of New Mexico snap its four-game losing streak.
The junior lefty pitched 7.2 innings allowing just four singles and one unearned run while striking out six to lead the Lobos (17-15, 9-7) to a 6-1 win over the Air Force Falcons (15-17, 8-8) Friday night.
“Before this game we were just one game above .500,” Boardman said. “Pitching on Fridays it’s important for me to set the tone for the series. I would’ve liked to have thrown a complete game, but unfortunately my pitch count got too high.”
The Falcons came in having won six straight with an offense that was just raking. They had collected 71 hits over their last four games, but Boardman was too good. He lowered his season ERA to 2.87 after throwing 83 of his 118 pitches for strikes.
“Toller is the guy that gives us a chance to beat anyone in the country,” UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said. “He’s a fantastic guy. I recruited him out of Houston. A friend of mine called me a year ago and said, ‘I have this kid who pitched at Texas,’ to which I said yes immediately.”
This start was much better than Boardman’s previous one against the Falcons, in which he got the victory in a 10-6 win on Feb. 20, but he allowed 12 hits.
“In my first start against them I realized they were a very aggressive team and like to swing at the first pitch,” he said. “In the bullpen me and (pitching) Coach Spencer agreed to throw off-speed and pitch backwards.”
Cory Voss helped out his pitcher with an RBI double in the first inning to give the Lobos an early lead. RBI singles by Lane Milligan and Chris DeVito in the third off Falcon starter Griffin Jax (2-6), who had shut out the Lobos in Colorado Springs last season, increased UNM’s lead to 3-0.
They added three more in the sixth to finally put the game out of reach.
With one out DeVito worked a nine-pitch at bat before singling up the middle. Carl Stajduhar followed with another single up the middle to almost hit Jax in the chest. Jack Zoellner walked on four pitches to load the bases for Dalton Bowers. He grounded one softly to first for a fielder’s choice that scored DeVito and put men on the corners. Jared Holley and Danny Collier then both singled through the right side to drive in a run and complete UNM’s scoring.
Every Lobo starter reached base, and Collier, Voss, DeVito and Satjduhar each recorded two hits in support of Boardman, who seemed to get stronger in the later innings.
After the Falcons recorded their only run with the help of an error in the seventh, Boardman struck out the first two batters in the eighth and had a 1-2 count on the final batter he faced, before giving up a jam-shot, bloop single to right to end his night.
Hayden Schilling came out of the bullpen and retired all four batters he faced, though, to close out the win.
The teams will meet at 2 p.m. Saturday. Freshman James Harrington will start on the mound for UNM, and fans can watch a live stream by LoboTV on the Mountain West Network at GoLobos.com, or listen to the game on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM.
Notes: Holley had an outstanding diving stop and throw on a ball up the middle to record an out in the fourth … Aaron Siple made a diving catch in right … Collier now has a 14-game hitting streak.